Gaza, Hong Kong, Ghana

Today's three stories you should know

Gaza

U.N. experts have called on Israel to free Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, the former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, warning that his life is at risk and that he has been subjected to “severe torture.” Abu Safia, 51, was detained by Israeli forces in December 2024 after he refused to leave the hospital, which was the last functioning health facility in the north of the enclave, when it was under Israeli attack. He has since been held without charge or trial and is reported to be in poor condition. “He has been systematically denied critical medical examination and treatment, and deprived of essential care to such an extent that his life, health, and well-being have been gravely endangered,” U.N. special rapporteurs Tlaleng Mofokeng and Ben Saul said in a statement.

More from Al Jazeera here.

Hong Kong

The owner and staff of a Hong Kong bookstore have been arrested for selling seditious materials, including the biography of jailed pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai. Independent bookstore owner Pong Yat-ming and three workers at his shop, Book Punch, were detained by national security police after a search, according to local media reports. “The Troublemaker,” which recounts the life story of Lai, was confiscated. Lai, a 78-year-old former media tycoon and British citizen, was jailed for 20 years last month under a controversial national security law on charges of colluding with foreign forces. The arrests prompted fresh concerns that freedom of expression has been all but extinguished in the city.

More from AP here.

Ghana

The U.N. General Assembly has declared the enslavement of Africans during the transatlantic slave trade “the gravest crime against humanity” and called for reparations to be paid despite strong opposition from the United States. A resolution, tabled by Ghana, was passed to applause by a vote of 123 in favor, three against and 52 abstentions. Only the U.S., Israel and Argentina voted against it, while Britain and EU states abstained. Countries such as the UK, the U.S. and European nations have long rejected calls for reparations, arguing today’s governments and institutions cannot be held responsible for past wrongs. Some 12 to 15 million people were captured in African countries between 1500 and 1800 and taken to the Americas. About two million died on the journey.

More from Africa News here.